Connecticut western news., 1887-12-07
A MEDICINE DANCE.

A MEDICINE DANCE. ,Terpsichorean Performances of
 the Kiowa Indians.
  Dancing Two, Hundred and
 Forty Consecutive Hours.
 Au Anadarko Qndian Territory) letter to the Courier-J Journal, says: By invita- tion of Sun Boy, the chief of the Kiowas, recently attended, with three other palefaces, the great medicine dance of that warlike tribe. The place selected for the dance was forty miles west of this place, on Rainy Mountain creek, tributary of the Washita river. The place was we'll chosen, with just timber enough for shelter, good grass and springs to supply drinking water. The Kiowas formerly participated in this dance annually, but owing to the scarcity of buffalo they have only had two in the past five years. Ono buffalo at least is essential to the medicine dance, aud they had to go 300 miles and pay $1oo cash to obtain one for this dance. It was just sunset when our party arrived. A place was pointed out to us by one of the chiefs, our tepee erected, our horses stakcd to grass and our ater-kegs filled. All of this work was done by squaws. We were invited to supper, and to our surprise were seated on the ground to a sumptuous repast, of which we showed our appreciation in very decided man ner. One of our party could talk Kiowa, so we got their programme, and being weary from our days travel, turned in and were soon in the arms of Morpheus. We were astir by daylight next morning, and after hearty breakfast of beef and coffee, but no bread, we proceeded to take in the sights.
 The encampment consisted of three hundred lodges arranged in circle about one and half miles in circum- ference. In the centre of this circle the medicine lodge was erected. It was circle one hundred-and fifty feet in cir conference, with poles set iu the ground about four feet apart, and green brush interwoven so thick that one could not see through it. In the centre was a pole about forty feet in height, on which the buffalo hide was suspended; on the west side was placed the idol they worship, which was figure cut from stone, about thirteen inches high, either side of the idol was cone shaped pile of sand, with small opening at the top, from which issued continually a very black smoke from one side and a blue smoke from the other. How this smoke was generated is beyond my ken. ca the east side of the circle was an opening, through which old Sol threw his resplendent rays full in the face of the idol as he lifted his head above the eastern horizon. The dog soldiers were dancing. The dog h. dian is one who dances four days and nights without sleep. If faithful, he is honored among his people. The buffalo dancers come next on the programme. They dance four days and nights with out sleep, but are allowed to take soup and water occasionally in small quanti- ties. They, if faithful, are honored by the Great Spirit. The dog soldiers had been dancing three days when we arrived, but one day of this was enough for us. They danced until, from sheer exhaustion, they would fall to the ground, when they wouli be caught up by two or three stalwart bucks and carried to hole of wet sand and mud and rolled therein until they returned to consciousness, when they would again participate in the dance.
 Any one of the tribe that felt re- ligiously inclined and that they would prove faithful, could enter the dance, squaws excepted. We were not al- lowed to enter the medicine lodge until we were dressed la mode, that is, with sheet and moccasins on and hat off, | when we were treated as their equals. The dancers were clad in sackcloth and ashes. They work themselves into a high state of excitement, singing, pray ing and dancing. Some of them would be crazy for hours at time.
 On the evening of the fourth day after our arrival T-mu-da, the medicine chief, declared that the Great Spirit wore smile, and then the dance which had lasted two hundred and forty con-. secutive hours was brought to close, the beating of the tomtoms having never ceased during the entire performance. Then the donations of the Great Spirit began, but as our time was limited we did not stay to see the finale, but there are thousands of dollars worth of fine shawls, blankets, moccasins, robes, &c., deposited in a pile to decay.
 A Sight to Feast the Eyes.